Rick is a mentally-unbalanced but scientifically-gifted old man who has recently reconnected with his family. He spends most of his time involving his young grandson Morty in dangerous, outlandish adventures throughout space and alternate universes. Compounded with Morty's already unstable family life, these events cause Morty much distress at home and school.

Rick, Morty, and Summer get into trouble when time is fractured by a feedback loop of uncertainty that split reality into more than one equally possible impossibilities. Meanwhile, Beth and Jerry go to extreme lengths to save a deer struck by their vehicle.

Trapped inside the house with an ever-increasing number of parasitic alien shape-shifters capable of altering memories, an uncertain Rick and the Smiths search for a way to determine which of them are real.

Rick and Morty travel inside the car's battery, where Morty discovers Rick has created a universe containing sentient life solely to produce power for him. Meanwhile, Summer must deal with being locked in the car with Rick's overzealous security system.